Streptococcus Pneumoniae Strains Isolated from Patients with Acute Otitis Media

Streptococcus pneumoniae is the most common cause of purulent meningitis, community-acquired pneumonia, acute otitis media and probably in acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis. Acute otitis media is the most frequently diagnosed disease in childhood. Isolates nonsusceptible or resistant to penicillin and other antimicrobial agents became increasingly prevalent in many other countries during the 1980s. The management of acute otitis media is complicated by the emergence of resistance to beta-lactam and other antibiotics among common pathogens. In recent years, there has been a worldwide increase in strains of pneumococcus that are resistant to penicillins as well as other antibiotics. We conducted a study of infants and children with acute otitis media to identify pathogens and susceptibility patterns.